Attachment orientation and caretaking memories in fathers during the transition to parenthood

Dissertação de mestrado em Psicologia Aplicada

Lower NPAS3 expression during the later stages of abnormal lung development in rat congenital diaphragmatic hernia

Purpose Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is characterized by a developmental defect in the diaphragm, pulmonary hypoplasia and pulmonary hypertension. NPAS3 is a PAS domain transcription factor regulating Drosophila tracheogenesis. NPAS3 null mice develop pulmonary hypoplasia in utero and die after birth due to respiratory failure. We aimed to evaluate NPAS3 expres- sion during normal and abnormal lung development due to CDH. Methods CDH was induced by administering 100 mg/ml nitrofen to time-pregnant dams on embryonic day (E) 9 of gestation. Lungs were isolated on E15, E18 and E21 and NPAS3 localization was determined by immunohisto- chemistry and quantified using Western blotting. Results We found that only E21 hypoplastic CDH lungs have reduced expression of NPAS3 in the terminal sac- cules. Western blotting confirmed the down-regulation of NPAS3 protein in the nitrofen-induced hypoplastic lungs. Conclusions We demonstrate for the first time that ni- trofen-induced hypoplastic CDH lungs have reduced NPAS3 expression in the terminal saccules during the later stages of abnormal lung development. Our findings suggest that NPAS3 is associated with pulmonary hypoplasia in CDH.

Sleep during the third trimester of pregnancy: the role of depression and anxiety

Depression has been associated with sleep disturbances in pregnancy; however, no previous research has controlled the possible confounding effect of anxiety on this association. This study aims to analyze the effect of depression on sleep during the third trimester of pregnancy controlling for anxiety. The sample was composed by 143 depressed (n = 77) and non-depressed (n = 66) pregnant women who completed measures of depression, anxiety, and sleep. Differences between groups in sleep controlling for anxiety were found. Depressed pregnant women present higher number of nocturnal awakenings and spent more hours trying falling asleep during the night and the entire 24 h period. Present findings point out the effect of depression on sleep in late pregnancy, after controlling for anxiety.

Mother's anxiety and depression during the third pregnancy trimester and neonate's mother versus stranger's face/voice visual preference

Background: Neonates show visual preference for their mother's face/voice and shift their attention from their mother to a stranger's face/voice after habituation. Aim: To assess neonate's mother versus stranger's face/voice visual preference, namely mother's anxiety and depression during the third pregnancy trimester and neonate's: 1) visual preference for the mother versus the stranger's face/voice (pretest visual preference), 2) habituation to the mother's face/voice and 3) visual preference for the stranger versus the mother's face/voice (posttest visual preference). Method: Mothers (N=100) filled out the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and the State Anxiety Inventory (STAI) both at the third pregnancy trimester and childbirth, and the “preference and habituation to the mother's face/voice versus stranger” paradigm was administered to their newborn 1 to 5 days after childbirth. Results: Neonates of anxious/depressed mothers during the third pregnancy trimester contrarily to neonates of non-anxious/non-depressed mothers did not look 1) longer at their mother's than at the stranger's face/voice at the pretest visual preference (showing no visual preference for the mother), nor 2) longer at the stranger's face/voice in the posttest than in the pretest visual preference (not improving their attention to the stranger's after habituation). Conclusion: Infants exposed to mother's anxiety/depression at the third gestational trimester exhibit less perceptual/social competencies at birth.